The prior art of assembly methods for mounting a sink unit or bowl in a kitchen cabinet or on a kitchen work surface includes techniques wherein the bowl is fitted for seating within a cutout opening of the mounting surface, and a sealing material is used to prevent the leakage of water through the gap formed therebetween. The bowl may be seated such that its edges are above the mounting surface, or an aluminum or other metal frame may be applied to the perimeter of the bowl edge, in an attempt to make a flush-fit connection between the two surfaces.
Alternatively, the bowl may be mounted underneath the mounting surface, and held in place by mounting hardware, with a sealing material applied to the gap. An inherent disadvantage of these constructions is that water, dirt and contamination accumulate in the sealed gap, creating an unsightly appearance and health risks due to the possibility of bacterial growth.
Prior art patents disclosing mounting assembly methods as described above include European Patent EP 0 169 981 B1, which discloses use of a profiled frame for flush-mount of a sink unit with a table top. German Patent 2,900,833 discloses use of a sealing material around the bowl edge for closing the gap with a mounting surface. German Patent 2,902, 194 discloses use of a profiled frame around a sink unit for closing the gap. French Patent 8,015,221 discloses use of a sealing material for closing the gap with a mounting surface.
Another sink mounting assembly method is to mold a single surface which already includes the sink in it, from various plastic or polyester materials, for specific dimensions.
Still another prior art mounting technique is applicable to certain sink mounting surface materials marketed and available from DuPont under the tradename "Corian". This is a plastic-type mounting surface material which can be easily machined with a router, enabling the production of a bevelled edge in the cutout opening for achieving a flush-fit of a sink with the mounting surface. A problem with this approach is the use of a special glue to seal the edges of the sink. The glue causes the mounting surface and sink to become a single unit, which cannot be separated again, so that if it is necessary to remove and replace the sink, the mounting surface must be destroyed.
Production of a bevelled edge, while easily achieved with the "Corian" plastic-type mounting surface material, is very difficult to achieve with hard mounting surfaces, such as granite or marble. The latter are popular in kitchens for their hardness and durability, and because they are impervious to water. Typically, due to their hardness, the mounting approach using these materials is to use a standard cutout opening, with the sink edge placed over or under the cutout opening, and sealed thereto with appropriate sealing materials. The difficulty in cutting a bevelled edge in granite or marble mounting surfaces would preclude the flush-mount mounting approach possible with "Corian" plastic-type materials.
It is believed that workmen of ordinary skill in the art of granite and marble cutting have not applied the bevelled edge sink mounting technique used with "Corian" materials, due to the extreme difficulty encountered in making an exact cut in these materials for the entire contour of the cutout opening with the necessary accuracy and uniformity to allow for a flush-fit.
However, it would be desirable to adopt the bevelled edge sink mounting technique to granite or marble surfaces, since this would enhance the aesthetic appeal of kitchen designs, without sacrificing the benefits of these mounting surfaces.